The landlord, who has not been identified, said: "I am disappointed that somebody can act so unprofessionally. "It was a genuine act to help Alesha and it's been turned into something personal and sordid."

South Ribble Councillor Michael Green, said: "I can confirm that we are dealing with a complaint about a voicemail message which was inadvertently left on a resident's telephone.

Disgusted: The council staff suggested she was sleeping with her landlord (Photo: SWNS)

"The council is in contact with the resident, and we very much appreciate their co-operation in helping us get to the bottom of this matter.

"I apologise on behalf of the council for any distress that has been caused.

"We take matters such as this extremely seriously and have suspended two employees, pending disciplinary proceedings.

"We set very high standards, and are independently rated as one of the best councils in the country for the quality of our customer service. We will take all necessary action to ensure those standards are maintained."